Security, Sound Issues Discussed for New Somers Congregational Church Meeting House

This information was published in the Somers Congregational Church restoration news center on Dec. 6, 2012:

Rev. Dr. Barry Cass

The Building Committee spent most of this week’s meeting reviewing the audio visual suggestions from Dan Clayton, our acoustician.  The extensive proposal includes all the microphones, speakers and assistive listening devices in the sanctuary, as well as a system for recording services and “piping” services in the sanctuary into other areas of the building.  Other areas include the Care Center, so people working there and parents who feel it necessary to take a child from the sanctuary will still be able to at least hear and perhaps see, the worship service, and the dining room in case there is need for overflow seating.  The proposal also addresses the need for a PA system in the dining room and the ability to show videos in that area.  A great deal of work has gone into the proposal and the acoustician has worked closely with our own Tech Committee in order to be aware of and to meet our needs.  No final decisions have been made and the discussion of the proposal will continue next week with Mr. Clayton available by conference call.

Several members of the Building Committee met on Wednesday afternoon to look at the needs we have and will have for securing our entire facility.  Here too, there have been no final decisions, but consideration is being given to the need to control access to exterior doors and various parts of the entire facility and the need to prevent burglary and vandalism in and around the facility.  There is a wide variety of options available along a spectrum of technical complication and cost.  We are very aware of the need to keep expenses low while making sure the building is secure and we have adequate protection.

We have moved ahead with the Connecticut Department of Transportation.  There are a couple of paperwork items that need to be completed and then the electric lines will be brought from the street to the Meeting House site.  We have also learned from the DOT that we needed to remove signs from the front of the church property and have done so.

It was decided that John Jones will use some of the salvaged wood from the Meeting House to create a new cross for the front of the sanctuary.  Details will be worked out as to size but it is exciting to know there will be a part of the former church permanently installed as part of the new.

There has been some discussion of the third floor that will be part of the new Meeting House.  The fact is the balcony in the old church was a third floor, though we never referred to it that way.  Because we are replacing the balcony and there is seating for congregants as well as the choir and the organ, there is a need to make it code compliant.  The old balcony was dead ended on both sides and that will not be allowed in the new building.  In order to keep the balcony and make it code compliant exits had to be added on the north end on both sides of the balcony.  This meant there needed to be a way to exit the building, necessitating a connecting hallway and a code compliant stairway.  Access requirements led to the need for an elevator reaching the third floor.  We have learned during the design process that very often the requirements of various applicable codes and the design elements we want and need build upon each other.  There are some things we have foregone because of escalating costs, but felt the overwhelming desire of the congregation was for the balcony to be as close as possible to what was in the former church.

This week there will be a couple of marathon days of cement pouring as the forms we have watched being built over the past few weeks will be filled with cement, creating the first floor walls of the new Meeting House.

If you have concerns, questions or comments, please talk with one of the members of the Building Committee, send a note to them at the church, or send an email to build@somerscongregational.org.  We are always happy to talk about the progress being made and the design of the new Meeting House.